Bake Your Own Brain Food

No one understands the importance of brain food better than Margaret Werry, or indeed ‘Grandma’ as I know her better. The fortnightly box full of baked delights I find sent to my pigeonhole at Fitzwilliam has become nothing short of the stuff of legend and the targeted booty of the prying hands of many a hungry scavenger.

Armed with the task of providing a good revision recipe or two for the ravenous Tab reader, it was upon her door that I came a-knocking. Said opened the door, donned the traditional culinary pinafore and with hair powdered with flour, got cracking.

RECIPE NUMBER ONE: “Protein Platter”

– Cream cheese with chives
– Salmon
– Rice cakes
– Cucumber
– Brazil nuts

Spread the cream cheese thickly onto the salmon and roll into cylinder shape. Cut cylinder into bite size morsels. Thinly layer rice cakes with butter, and add cucumber slices until surface is covered. Then add the salmon cylinders and garnish with Brazil nuts. “The Salmon will help boost your omega 3 levels which will keep you concentrated and focused in the depths of the library,” promises Grandma. Not to mention that the Brazil nuts will “bring out the monkey in you” by supplying you with much needed energy bursts as well as heightening levels of testosterone which improve libido; something very much thwarted by exam stress.

RECIPE NUMBER TWO: “Pigs in blankets with a twist”

– Sliced loaf
– Banana
– Peanut Butter
– Apricots

To achieve this American-inspired classic, begin by cutting off the bread crusts and laying the bread slices on a damp tea towel to prevent cracking. Then, lightly butter the bread before adding peanut butter. Place half a banana in the middle of the bread and roll into a cylinder shape before securing with cocktail sticks. Garnish the platter with apricots. “The banana helps to sustain a longer lasting energy which will accompany you through those long hours of book-pouring whilst the peanut butter gets the dish that feel good factor, taking you back to a childhood of picnics and packed lunches where exams played not a role.” This is also a fun take on the traditional sandwich, and an impressive alternative for nibbles when entertaining. Make these part of your May week lunch box.

RECIPE NUMBER THREE: “Choco Splodge”

– 200g worth of digestive biscuits
– 100g butter
– 50g syrup
– 25g coco
– Dark chocolate

Put all the digestive biscuits into a plastic bag and bash with rolling pin until truly crumbled. Put the butter, syrup and coco into a pan and melt over a low heat. Once melted, stir in broken biscuits before pouring the resulting mixture into a bowl and covering with a melted layer of dark chocolate. Chill overnight. “The whacking of the biscuits with the rolling pin is my favourite part,” grins Grandma, “it will really help to rid you of all that frustration and stress during exam term!” This sweet treat will attract the attention of even the sourest study-buddy just as it’s time to compare notes.